This main dish features tender, juicy pork tenderloin spiced with cinnamon and other Moroccan-inspired flavors. Tomato-peach sauce sweetens the deal with a tangy twist in this unexpected, but well-balanced pairing.

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It’s the first week of fall! Sweaters. Soups. Sweltering Saturdays… hold up. What?

Them’s the breaks living in the South. September is mostly an unforgiving sweatbox, made worse by the fact that I just want to burn pumpkin-reminiscent candles and drink hot tea, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Call me basic. Do it.

That’s what I thought.

You know what’s a nice perk though? Peaches. Big, juicy peaches. They’re technically still in season here. A fall staple? Not quite. But for me, this time of year is generally a scramble to get them fresh while I can. Same with sun-ripened tomatoes, which are getting harder to come by, but still around.

If you know me well, you know a good number of my favorite foods feature fruit and savory foods mixed. Pulled pork with blueberry adobo sauce (coming soon), steak tacos with pickled blackberries, and—quite possibly one of my favorite foods—tomato peach sauce with spiced pork tenderloin.

I’ve actually been making this sauce for years, while the pork tenderloin recipe is a little over a year old. I originally created the sauce to put on top of brie pasta. I had lots of peaches and tomatoes on hand, fresh basil and sage in the garden, and a bunch of free time.

Thus the sauce of a lifetime was born.

I put this on pork, chicken, cheesy pasta, plain pasta… It’s pretty hard to go wrong. But there’s something special about it with this spiced pork tenderloin. Tomatoes, peaches, basil, cinnamon, cumin, pork… not things often listed together, but I’m pretty sure it was destiny.

I personally use the Ninja Master Prep Professional system to blend the sauce, but you can use any large food processor or blender. I love the Ninja system because a) it has sizes for everything I need, b) I can use multiple processors at the same time and it’s not a pain because the power pod is small and light, and c) I can just throw the plastic parts in the dishwasher when I’m finished.

When pork browns, it starts to develop caramel-y notes that beg for sweetness to solidify the connection. Both sweet and savory need a little acid to lighten things up, which is where the tomatoes and a bit of vinegar come in. We turn up the heat with Moroccan-inspired spices, and basil and sage keep things fresh.

What’s funny about this is that it actually ends up aligning with the fall vibes I’m craving. Fruit and meat is a classic pairing for fall. Ever heard of pork chops and applesauce?

Yeah, I said it.

Honestly though, it’s a real thing. Apple-stuffed pork tenderloin is a Pinterest classic. Pears are all over my early fall menu, from salads (more on that soon, I could write a book) to dessert.

How do you feel about pairing fruit with savory foods? Do you have a favorite combo? Comment and let me know! I’m always looking to add something new to my ever-expanding list.

As always, I want to hear from you! Got a question or something you’re struggling with in the kitchen? I’d love to help you out if I can, but I won’t know until you ask.

Anyway, let’s get searing!

Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Tomato Peach Sauce

Author: Leannda Cavalier
Total Time: About 50 minutes
Yield: About 6 (4-oz) servings of pork and 3 cups of sauce
Category: Dinner
Method: roasting, searing
Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Description

Ingredients

2 large, ripe peaches, roughly chopped
2-3 medium ripe tomatoes (or 4 roma tomatoes), roughly chopped
1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
2 garlic cloves (or 2 teaspoons roasted garlic paste)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons oregano or Italian seasoning
1 Tablespoon honey (preferably clover or other light honey)
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
A pinch of red pepper flakes
2 large fresh sage leaves
5 fresh basil leaves
Optional: a few tablespoons dry white wine such as sauvignon blanc

For the Spiced Pork Tenderloin

1.5 lb plain pork tenderloin, any excess fat trimmed
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

For the Tomato Peach Sauce

Preheat the oven to 400º F.
Place the tomatoes, peaches and onions on a sheet pan and drizzle with 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Toss with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning or oregano.
Wrap garlic cloves in foil, drizzling with a little oil before sealing. Place it on the sheet pan. Bake the pan for 35 minutes, or until the tomatoes and peaches are blistered and onions are soft. Allow to cool, and remove the garlic from the foil.
Place ingredients from the sheet pan and all remaining ingredients to a food processor or blender, and pulse in short spurts until smooth.

Combine the salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and nutmeg in a small bowl and mix thoroughly.
Rub the tenderloin with the spice mix to coat all sides as evenly as possible.
Heat a large, oven safe pan over medium-high heat.
When the pan is hot, add the oil and tilt to spread the oil.
Add the pork tenderloin and sear for about two minutes on each side (about 8 minutes overall), or until the meat begins to brown and no longer sticks to the pan. Try not to let the spices burn and become acrid.
Transfer the pork to the pan, place it in the oven and cook for about 18 minutes, or until the center reaches 160ºF.
Allow to rest on a cutting board, loosely covered in foil, for ten minutes.
Slice into 1-inch rounds and enjoy warm with tomato-peach sauce.

Notes

* To make both of these at the same time, I recommend starting the pork while the fruit is roasting. You can put the meat in the oven at the same time as the fruit so they finish around the same time, and then mix the sauce while the pork rests. Or you can always make the sauce ahead if that’s easier.
If the fruit you used wasn’t in the best condition or at peak season, you may need to add a little more honey to sweeten.
On the other hand, if the sauce is too sweet and feels heavy, you can add a little more vinegar (or wine) to lighten it up a bit.
If you have it on hand, a handful of parsley is also great in this sauce. I used it in some of the photos in this post.

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Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Tomato Peach Sauce